Coalpail.com Forum

I just bought a Franco Belge coal burning stove. The stove pipe coming out of the back of the stove has a slightly greater than 4" ID. When I attempted to connect a standard 4" stove pipe to it I found that the crimped end of the pipe fit rather losely into the pipe coming out of the back of the stove. I have the manual for an old Surdiac stove with a similar exit pipe. It suggests "filling the void with a mixture of water and asbestos". I really don't think I want to do that. So how do I connect the cast iron stove pipe from the back of the stove to the flue pipe? Is there something else that I can wrap around the stove pipe to seal it? Or is there a special connector that I need to use? I'm really at a loss as to what to do here? I have attached a picture of the stove pipe exiting from the back of the stove.

Most hardware stores and heating stores sell a product called furnace cement, it is a high temp putty, you can us it to seal the gap.. You can also take a pair of pliers and flatten some the ridges in the pipe, this enlarges the diameter with each ridge flattened.. go slowly, trying the pipe as you go, you will soon have a friction fit..
Then use the furnace putty/cement to seal the joint.. and don't forget to put at least 3 screws through the flange into the flue pipe to mechanically hold it in place.

Greg L
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I thought of that, but I was worried a little because the ID fo the stove pipe coming from the stove is actually closer to 4 1/16 inches. This means that it doesn't even make contact with the 4 inch crimped end until it hits the flared section. Even if I straightend all of the crips it would not fit snugly. My guess is that the opening is actually a metric size.

So, given that do you think that the cement and screws will be enough to make up for the 1/16 in difference in size?

By the way, what type/size of screws would you recommend? Will normal stainless steel screws work OK?

I think once you get a good draw going through the stove pipe that any exhaust will be sucked into the pipe & out into the chimney anyway. I think the stove cement will tend to seal the pipe just fine & will act more to prevent unwanted air from lessening your draft than draining exhaust gases into the house.(air pressure outside the pipe will exceed the pressure inside & tend to suck gases into the pipe & out into the chimney)

Thanks! I can't believe how fast you guys replied! I really appreciate your feedback. This is my first time doing this sort of thing and I didn't want to mess it up. It's nice to know that I am not alone in this.

I'm thinking an aluminum tape might work too. It's going to be messy when you want to clean that pipe out during the heating season.

If you have about 4-6" of extra stovepipe laying around, Hammer flat or snip the seam out of it and wrap it on the end going into the stove with the split side opposite the stovepipes seam. Hopefully it will fit snugly into the stoves collar and you can secure the sleeve to the stovepipe with two screws. If you stick 3" of stovepipe in, you should have about 3" more sticking out for those screws. Secure the stovepipe with 3 screws to the stove (always 3). A wipe of sillycone or stove cement and your set. It should come right out and go back in when you service it. If the gap is real big, cut your stove pipe lengthwise and roll it up like a paper towel roll around the stovepipe. Wear gloves, that stuff is sharp.

Unless I missed something, The smoke pipe goes over the outlet of the stove, not on the inside. The crimped ends always point way from the stove. The pipe should be a tight fit over the outlet. Hope this helps.

When I got my stove the dealer said to suff insulation in there to make it as tight as you can and secure it with 3 screws. He said that he's bin insalling stoves that way for 20 years(Harmam dealer).

I used a Franco Belge for over 15 years. Get yourself Five inch diameter stove pipe and put it over the outlet. It will be a nice tight fit. The manual (which I can't seem to locate) called for five inch pipe.

isn't the pipe out of the stove made of CAST IRON/STEEL ??

you can't drill and put screws in it !!!

use the 5" pipe and the cement

I went back to the store and got some 5" pipe. Sure enough the pipe does fit. Since the pipe from the stove is tapered the 5" pipe only makes contact at one point. I'm sure that the cement will hold it in place under normal conditions. I have just been warned that at times you can have an ignition of gasses that could blow the pipe loose if it is not securly fastened in place. However, since this is a used stove and there are no existing screw holes I am a little hesitant to drill them.

I have actually considered wrapping metal strapping around the elbow that I am connecting to the stove, then screwing that to the metal cover over the back of the stove to hold the pipe in place. I just have to find some place to get the metal strapping.

coaledsweat wrote:If you have about 4-6" of extra stovepipe laying around, Hammer flat or snip the seam out of it and wrap it on the end going into the stove with the split side opposite the stovepipes seam. Hopefully it will fit snugly into the stoves collar and you can secure the sleeve to the stovepipe with two screws. If you stick 3" of stovepipe in, you should have about 3" more sticking out for those screws. Secure the stovepipe with 3 screws to the stove (always 3). A wipe of sillycone or stove cement and your set. It should come right out and go back in when you service it. If the gap is real big, cut your stove pipe lengthwise and roll it up like a paper towel roll around the stovepipe. Wear gloves, that stuff is sharp.

I recommend installing the pipe as Coaledsweat advised. If there are no holes you can drill them, even if it's cast iron. The pipe is supposed to fit tightly into the collar. After securing the pipe with screws seal the pipe around the collar. Thats it!

You NEED 3 screws in every stovepipe connection, even at the appliance. Do not depend on cement to hold the stovepipe, one good puffback and you may not be venting to your chimney anymore, it will be venting to your home.

THREE SCREWS, EVERY CONNECTION!

Crimp down, three screws and use a proper stove pipe connector that slips tightly into the stove collar. A installer who has the proper sheet metal tools can make any kind of connector you need. If it is not done correctly you may cause serious injury or death to someone even yourself.